By Cherilyn Crowe
WASHINGTON — A key provision in the new Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) prevents religious discrimination with taxpayer dollars, but its inclusion was not a foregone conclusion during the legislative battle to reauthorize the bill. The Baptist Joint Committee joined a broad coalition in contacting Members of Congress when one proposed version did not include that provision.
The version of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act passed by the U.S. Senate this year contained the important nondiscrimination clause, which prevents federally funded religious discrimination with the government grants the legislation provides to various organizations. However, a substitute version of the bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives did not contain the same protections. The BJC joined 59 other groups in sending a letter to each Member of the House alerting them to this discrepancy and expressing opposition to the removal of the protections.
“In our view, effective government collaboration with faith-based groups does not require the sanctioning of federally funded religious discrimination,” the letter said.
The letter pointed out that “religious organizations may prefer co-religionists in hiring when using their own private funds,” but it objected to allowing organizations to use government money to hire based on religion.
The substitute version of the bill failed in the House, and lawmakers passed the Senate version, which includes the protection, with a 286 to 138 vote. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law March 7.
Other groups signing the letter included American Jewish Committee, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Anti-Defamation League, Interfaith Alliance, NAACP, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Texas Freedom Network, The Sikh Coalition, Union for Reform Judaism and United Methodist Church’s General Board of Church and Society.
From the March 2013 Report from the Capital. Click here for the next article.
